Devotional Thoughts for the Sunday of All Departed Souls.
Reading: From the Gospel according to St. Luke 12: 32- 48
Dear and Respected Brethren,
As it is known to everyone, we are in the 18 days gap between the three days Lent and the 50 days Lent. Last Sunday we have observed it to honor the entire departed clergy and today we are honoring all the departed souls. The Church Fathers have made such an arrangement to honor the entire departed priests as well as the entire departed souls prior to the commencement of the great Lent only to seek their participation, with prayer so that we all would be equipped well to fight against Satan. Satan is always after the mankind to accept him as a clever friend and make us to commit sin. Satan gets satisfied when and where a single faithful is distracted from the divine presence of God Almighty. During the great Lent, there takes place a rigorous type war between the devil as well as
It is believed that all of us have remembered all the departed clergy on Sunday last. We sought and still seek the continued co-operation, guidance, blessings and above all a sort of joint effort during the 50 days of fasting to fight against the Satan and the evil forces. When we remember all the departed souls, we do the same. We are so sure that whenever we try to be more close to God, Satan and the evil forces would attempt their best to distract us from our divine purpose. This sort of evil efforts takes place when we might prepare ourselves for a prayer also. In such occasions we will have to fight against the evil forces. As there are limitations on our part, we seek the intercession, support and co-existence of all the departed clergy and the departed laity.
On 2nd Feb every year we do commemorate the entry of infant Jesus to the Temple. Our Lord proved that He is the Lord of all worship centers too. On the same day we honor St. Simeon and St. Hanna, who are considered as representatives of thousands of faithful who had waited with great expectation of the Savior of the mankind. While we honor them we should remember that we are bound to wait for the growth and development to the fullness of the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy church teaches that we would and we could attain the fullness of the Holy Spirit in us through the strict observation of a real and meaningful sacramental life. Let us not forget the same teaching.
In today’s reading our Lord assures us the following:
1) The entrance to the Kingdom of God is the desire of God the Father. Or God is pleased to grand the entrance to one and all who would form up a sort of solid faith in Him. (Verse-30-32) And hence we should not fear about it,
2) Whatever is held in this world by each and every one of us is not ours. The ownership right is held with God Almighty who has entrusted them to us. The worldly wealth and riches are not ours and we should not claim ownership right over them under any cause.
3) We must be ready always to receive our Savior on His second coming. So we have to leave away all our selfish desires and hopes concerned with our earthly and perishable life and we must long for the eternal life which is stable and sound with our Lord God.
May our fasting and observation of Lent help us to have a renewed and real Christian lives. Let us earnestly work for this desire with good fasting, prayer and devotion.
May God bless us all.
JoseKurian Puliyeril